A suggestion for making your patriarchal blessing more meaningful:
Type it out (not a scan, but a text file you can easily modify) and carry it with you on your electronic devices, especially wherever you read your scriptures.
Notice where the natural breaks or turns in subject come up, and number those parts in the same way your scriptures are numbered as verses. You can either break it up into “verses” the way the LDS scriptures are numbered, or, in a way I find much smoother, leave your blessing in its paragraph form and insert “verse” numbers as superscripts within the paragraph, the way newer styles of Bibles are often numbered.
As you read scriptures, or other gospel-themed books, or anywhere you find inspiration, footnote your blessing, tagging each note with the number of the “verse” it applies to:
What are the responsibilities, or blessings, or duties of those in your lineage? Cite Jacob’s blessings to that son; add notes or whole relevant paragraphs from other books discussing your lineage.
Does your blessing mention a particular gift? A warning? A promise? Keep track of relevant scriptural statements. Write journal-type notes about how that blessing is coming to pass – or how it has not come to pass, and how you feel about that.
Does it speak of a mission, or family, or callings? Enter biographical notes giving dates and places and the names of persons pertaining to your accomplishment of those items.
There are peculiarly LDS-language items that often come up in blessings – do you understand what is meant by “morning of the first resurrection” or whatever else is there? Maybe you are uncomfortable with some of those terms – work out your thoughts so that you have a record in case your thoughts change, or in case you want your children to understand.
Since every blessing is different, it’s hard to give more than general suggestions, but you get the idea: Turn your blessing into an ongoing guide, not merely something you may read once every year or three. If you’re consciously watching for the fulfillment (or otherwise) of statements in your blessing, and if you have your blessing frequently in the back of your mind, you’ll notice passages that otherwise you might breeze past. You might become aware of points in life where your blessing is fulfilled in ways different from what you expected when you were the young person receiving it.
A very useful suggestion. I can see how this would be very helpful in incorporating your patriarchal blessing into your actual life.
Fifty years ago (!) when I was in the LTM, our zone leader encouraged us to write out our patriarchal blessings, leaving plenty of space between lines. He then asked us to fill in the spaces with scriptural references, quotes, and other notes as we studied them. I need to go through my mission box and find that notebook, if I still have it. It would be interesting to see what I noted then, and add to that what I have picked up in the intervening half century! Thanks for this post.
Thank you both for your responses. I didn’t have any idea what to expect in posting this — your recognition of this as potentially useful made it worthwhile.
Excellent suggestions, Ardis! I am going to share this post with my teenager. I think they will definitely get something out of it and perhaps it might remind them to read their blessing again. They received such an amazing and powerful patriarchal blessing.